* Ixia replaces sales SVP; Operations EVP steps down
By Brian Santo
Ixia has appointed Alan Grahame SVP of worldwide sales. Grahame most recently served as worldwide VP for customer operations with the communications solutions group of Agilent Technologies. He replaces Dave Anderson, who was the SVP of worldwide sales and business development operations. Ixia said Anderson might end up with a new assignment at the company.
Separately, Sam Bass, Ixia’s EVP of operations, has resigned; the move had been reported in a recent SEC filing.
* Convergys renews billing deal with Cablemás
By Traci Patterson
Convergys Corp. has renewed its billing agreement with Cablemás, Mexico’s second-largest cable operator, for an additional five years.
The agreement continues the licensing, maintenance and support of Convergys’ ICOMS convergent voice, video and data billing and customer care solution. Cablemás has been operating the Convergys ICOMS solution for more than 12 years, and it now supports more than 750,000 cable TV, broadband and IP telephony subscribers, Convergys said.
* Ensequence names new president, COO
By Traci Patterson
Ensequence has appointed TV-industry vet Peter Low as its president and COO.
Low will be based in New York and will work directly with cable and satellite providers, TV programmers and advertisers. Low most recently served as EVP of cable distribution and marketing for MTV Networks and BET Networks.
Additionally, Ensequence has been selected by DirecTV to deliver interactive television (iTV) programming. Viewers of NBC’s soap opera “Passions,” who have an iTV-capable STB, will now be able to interact with the programming via their remote control. DirecTV is using Ensequence’s on-Q Publish suite to maintain the application.
* Digital Watermarking Alliance adds 3 new members
By Mike Robuck
The Digital Watermarking Alliance (DWA) now has 20 total members with the addition of three new organizations: AquaMobile, located in Spain; U.S.-based The Nielsen Company; and academic member Universite Catholique de Louvain, Laboratoire de Telecommunications, located in Belgium.
The DWA, which focuses on digital watermarking products, has grown its membership more than 65 percent since it was founded 15 months ago.
* Sonus Networks gets follow-on from Mexican carrier
By Brian Santo
Alestra, a Mexican carrier in which AT&T has a minority stake, is planning an expansion of its VoIP network, based in part on gear from Sonus Networks, according to the equipment supplier.
Sonus Networks and other partners (Avaya is an announced supplier) will help Alestra meet recent regulatory requirements mandating network operators to provide Local Number Portability (LNP) during 2008, an area in which Sonus claims expertise. Alestra has been a Sonus Networks customer since 2001.
